Marketing Director

Location: Dubai, UAE

Reporting To: Chief Executive Officer

Industry: Fashion & Lifestyle Retail

Engagement Type: Confidential Executive Search

Language Requirement: Fluent English (written and spoken) — Essential

THE OPPORTUNITY

Eaton SAKS International has been exclusively retained to identify and appoint an exceptional Director of Marketing for one of the Middle East's most respected fashion and lifestyle retail organizations. This is a rare, high-impact executive mandate for a leader who can drive strategic transformation, elevate brand equity across a diverse portfolio, and operate with credibility at the highest levels of the business.

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, the Director of Marketing will serve as the primary architect of portfolio-wide brand strategy, setting the vision, building the capabilities, and leading the cultural shift required to deliver marketing excellence across a complex, multi-brand retail environment.

This is not a traditional marketing role. It demands an individual who brings deep retail fluency, commercial sharpness, and the strategic instinct to connect brand investment with tangible business outcomes. The successful candidate will be as comfortable in the boardroom as they are championing customer insight, someone who builds outstanding teams, fosters cross-functional alignment, and creates the conditions for long-term sustainable growth.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Marketing and Portfolio Leadership

• Define and lead the long-term brand, customer and marketing strategy across a diverse multi-brand retail portfolio, ensuring alignment with the organization's strategic and commercial priorities.
• Strengthen brand equity by enhancing customer relevance while preserving the distinct identity and positioning of each brand.
• Develop a portfolio-wide approach to customer engagement that builds long-term brand preference, loyalty and sustainable commercial value.
• Identify strategic opportunities to enhance brand performance, strengthen customer relationships and accelerate sustainable business growth.
• Ensure marketing strategies are closely aligned with customer, product and commercial priorities through strong partnership with Commercial, Merchandising and Retail leadership.

Stakeholder Engagement & Governance

• Partner with the CEO and Executive Leadership Team to shape strategic priorities, providing expert counsel on brand, customer and marketing performance.
• Influence and align Brand Managing Directors and senior Commercial, Merchandising and Retail leaders to drive enterprise-wide collaboration across a complex, matrixed organization.
• Establish robust governance frameworks for marketing strategy, brand stewardship, investment prioritization and performance measurement across the portfolio.
• Lead strategic agency and external partner relationships to ensure exceptional execution, brand integrity and strong commercial outcomes.

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum 12 years of progressive marketing leadership experience, with at least 5 years in a senior or director-level role.
• Demonstrated experience within internationally recognized fashion, lifestyle, luxury or multi-category retail, with a strong track record of building brand equity and driving commercial performance.
• Experience leading marketing within highly competitive Western European retail markets, particularly the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Benelux or the Nordics, is highly valued, bringing a depth of brand-building expertise and customer insight that complements the organization's continued growth ambitions.
• Prior GCC or MENA regional experience is beneficial but not a prerequisite; the ability to adapt to and thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth regional market is essential.
• Proven experience managing multi-brand or multi-category portfolio marketing at a senior level.
• Track record of reporting to and influencing at CEO and Board level.
• Experience owning significant marketing budgets and demonstrating accountability for ROI and commercial outcomes.
• Bachelor's degree in marketing, Business Administration, Commerce or a related discipline is preferred; an MBA or equivalent postgraduate qualification is an advantage.

Language Requirements

• Full professional fluency in English — both written and spoken — is essential. The role operates in an English-language business environment and requires the ability to communicate at board level, produce executive-quality written materials and present with impact to senior international stakeholders.

CRITICAL LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES

The successful candidate will demonstrate exceptional capability across the following dimensions:

▪ Strategic Vision & Brand Leadership

▪ Commercial Acumen & P&L Ownership

▪ Multi-Brand Portfolio Management

▪ Consumer centric Leadership

▪ Stakeholder Influence & Executive Presence

▪ Team Building & Talent Development

▪ Leading Through Ambiguity & Complexity

▪ Cross-Cultural Leadership & Adaptability

WHY THIS ROLE

This is a defining leadership opportunity for a senior marketing executive ready to make their mark on one of the Middle East's most prominent retail platforms. The organization offers the scale, ambition and executive visibility to attract a high-calibre marketing leader, together with the opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting impact.

Due to the volume of interest this mandate is expected to generate, only candidates whose profiles closely match the stated requirements will be contacted. All applications are treated with the strictest confidence.